It's easy to forget that when Big Brother started nearly twenty years ago (!), it was basically a human zoo, a project with as many species as possible represented from society to see how they reacted to one another under massive scrutiny. The disruptive influence was Big Brother him/herself, and the inmates were little more than guinea pigs from a decent cross-section of the country. They were allowed to be boring.

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As the years have gone on, the viewership has grown less patient and the demand for sex and violence has heightened to the point where Big Brother has evolved into a holiday camp for the loud and brash, for the kind of people who think "telling it to people's faces" is a badge of honour.

Somewhere along the line we've forgotten that "light and shade" is what makes these shows watchable. With that in mind, here's a short list of the more intriguing housemates from series gone by who made the show really worth watching without being all ME ME ME about it.

We need more of them.

1. Anna Nolan (BB1)

The first year will always be eclipsed by memories of Nasty Nick burrowing into the weaker minds of his housemates to plant devious seeds, but actually the real star was Anna – a lesbian former novice nun who was so cool, witty and intelligent that Davina even wanted to be her pal in real life. She provided the soul of the house, the voice of reason, and was well liked by her colleagues. She came a very respectable second.

2. Dean O'Loughlin (BB2)

Brian Dowling rightly won the second series, but like every yin needs a yang, or every Morecambe needs a Wise, his humour only won out because he was in the right company. Dean provided a deadpan voice of calm and reason to compliment the Irishman's flights of fancy – he was also the perfect foil and cocked eyebrow for whatever brainless romances or tearful breakdowns might be occurring during the general day-to-day.

3 & 4. Spencer Smith and Alex Sibley (BB3)

At one point during the third series (famous for introducing the world to Jade Goody) it looked like it might come down to a straight-up cockfight between Spencer and Alex. Both were eye candy, but unlike the peacocks that stride into the house these days, half-checking themselves in the mirror every five seconds, these two brought something a little bit different to the party. One (Spencer) embodied a kind of stoner cool and openly enjoyed "peace and quiet", while the other (Alex) was an intense introvert who was obsessed with cleaning. Neither would make it through the door now, and more's the pity.

5. Shell Jubin (BB5)

Shell was a precious flower in the year that found Big Brother hosting a Fight Night for the very first time. It all seems vaguely quaint now: just a few housemates shrieking at one another from a relatively safe distance. It would probably pass as a relatively subdued Day One by today's standards. Even so, in amongst it all, Shell – timid, clever, normal – could be found cowering in the corner, bewildered and frightened like a bunny in a field of stampeding buffalo. Not ripping her shirt off and windmilling in like they do now.

6. Science Harvey (BB6)

There's nothing necessarily wrong with an argumentative housemate, and Science is testament to that. He questioned pretty much everything on a daily basis, and could often be found arguing with people long after they'd left the room. The difference being that he was a housemate with a political ideology who was questioning the status quo, and being disruptive in a more interesting and divisive way than just screaming hysterically at someone because they dared to interrupt your boring story about yourself.

7. Siavash Sabbaghpour (BB10)

When he walked into the house looking like a Teen Wolf Dick Turpin, you'd be excused for thinking Siavash was going to be an unutterable moron. The worst of all hipsters – the hipster who was a hipster before there were even hipsters. But as it was, he turned out to be the soft, likeable voice of reason in a fairly fractious house. And like all of the true Big Brother greats, he didn't win the show, he came second.